Retiring with honor
 |
Beloved local therapy dog hangs up leash
By Stephen Woodward/Staff Writer
EWING, Va. — When Pam Phillips talks about her dog Scout, it’s like she is talking about an old friend. While he may not be human, they’ve been through a lot together.
Phillips began training Scout when she found out he could do tricks. “The tricks just started when we were playing around in the yard... Her first trick was roll over,” said Phillips, who worked in Circulation at the Middlesboro Daily News for 10 years. “If you teach the basics, you can go right into tricks. She just picked up on things so quick. Smartest dog I’ve ever had.”
And with practice and training from Phillips, Scout soon entered show business.
“She always worked the crowd and performed tricks,” said Phillips. Together, she would take Scout to parades, parks, libraries, and schools. The dog could jump through a hoop, balance a cookie on her nose and catch it on command, and play dead after being shot. A lot of Scout’s best shows took place at Wilderness Road State Park, near where Phillips lives in Ewing, Va. Scout would dress up in a fringed jacket with a coon skin hat and do his best Daniel Boone impersonation. The number of tricks she could do was only beaten by the smiles of people she entertained.
Later, Phillips found out about a dog therapy program called Therapy Dog International. “She passed her test and we started doing therapy from there,” she said. “Been doing it ever since.”
Phillips explained the positive effects that Scout had on people as a therapy dog. “A lot of people that don’t talk or move hardly will begin to stroke a dog,” said Phillips. “It lowers blood pressure, and helps their hands and arms. I take a brush and ask them if they want to brush a dog. It’s a therapeutic thing for people.”
As a certified therapy dog, Scout has also helped children to read. “You can take a therapy dog to children who have trouble reading,” said Phillips. “They’ll read to a dog. It helps their skills [because] the dog doesn’t criticize. It gives them confidence and develops their reading skills.”
Phillips’s love for dogs began as far back as she could remember, and even before she could. “My first word was dog,” said Phillips, who was born in Hazard, Ky. “I started working with dogs at 21. When I was a kid, I would sneak and get on my bicycle and go downtown to the Armory and watch them train dogs. Then I’d come back home. I had a mutt, and work with her.” Phillips has trained dogs for over 12 years.
Phillips and Scout grew together even more when they were both diagnosed with cancer — and both survived. Now, they walk together in Relay For Life events.
But now the 10-year-old dog is beginning to show her age. Scout was recently diagnosed with Progressive Retina Atrophy, an eye problem that has made the dog go blind.
“Of course, there’s a lot of her tricks that she can’t do anymore,” said Phillips. “She can’t see the hoop anymore or my leg to jump over. It just went so fast.”
Physically, Scout is in good health, said Phillips. But now, because of the blindness, Scout is retiring after 8 and 1/2 years of therapy work. For the people who have loved Scout, and especially for Phillips, that’s not going to be easy.
“She’s very close, like my shadow,” said Phillips. “It’s going to be hard when the time comes. I think it’s for her best interest that I retire her.
Stephen Woodward is a staff writer for the Middlesboro Daily News. Contact him via e-mail at editor@middlesborodailynews.com.
By Stephen Woodward/Staff Writer
EWING, Va. — When Pam Phillips talks about her dog Scout, it’s like she is talking about an old friend. While he may not be human, they’ve been through a lot together.
Phillips began training Scout when she found out he could do tricks. “The tricks just started when we were playing around in the yard... Her first trick was roll over,” said Phillips, who worked in Circulation at the Middlesboro Daily News for 10 years. “If you teach the basics, you can go right into tricks. She just picked up on things so quick. Smartest dog I’ve ever had.”
And with practice and training from Phillips, Scout soon entered show business.
“She always worked the crowd and performed tricks,” said Phillips. Together, she would take Scout to parades, parks, libraries, and schools. The dog could jump through a hoop, balance a cookie on her nose and catch it on command, and play dead after being shot. A lot of Scout’s best shows took place at Wilderness Road State Park, near where Phillips lives in Ewing, Va. Scout would dress up in a fringed jacket with a coon skin hat and do his best Daniel Boone impersonation. The number of tricks she could do was only beaten by the smiles of people she entertained.
Later, Phillips found out about a dog therapy program called Therapy Dog International. “She passed her test and we started doing therapy from there,” she said. “Been doing it ever since.”
Phillips explained the positive effects that Scout had on people as a therapy dog. “A lot of people that don’t talk or move hardly will begin to stroke a dog,” said Phillips. “It lowers blood pressure, and helps their hands and arms. I take a brush and ask them if they want to brush a dog. It’s a therapeutic thing for people.”
As a certified therapy dog, Scout has also helped children to read. “You can take a therapy dog to children who have trouble reading,” said Phillips. “They’ll read to a dog. It helps their skills [because] the dog doesn’t criticize. It gives them confidence and develops their reading skills.”
Phillips’s love for dogs began as far back as she could remember, and even before she could. “My first word was dog,” said Phillips, who was born in Hazard, Ky. “I started working with dogs at 21. When I was a kid, I would sneak and get on my bicycle and go downtown to the Armory and watch them train dogs. Then I’d come back home. I had a mutt, and work with her.” Phillips has trained dogs for over 12 years.
Phillips and Scout grew together even more when they were both diagnosed with cancer — and both survived. Now, they walk together in Relay For Life events.
But now the 10-year-old dog is beginning to show her age. Scout was recently diagnosed with Progressive Retina Atrophy, an eye problem that has made the dog go blind.
“Of course, there’s a lot of her tricks that she can’t do anymore,” said Phillips. “She can’t see the hoop anymore or my leg to jump over. It just went so fast.”
Physically, Scout is in good health, said Phillips. But now, because of the blindness, Scout is retiring after 8 and 1/2 years of therapy work. For the people who have loved Scout, and especially for Phillips, that’s not going to be easy.
“She’s very close, like my shadow,” said Phillips. “It’s going to be hard when the time comes. I think it’s for her best interest that I retire her.
Stephen Woodward is a staff writer for the Middlesboro Daily News. Contact him via e-mail at editor@middlesborodailynews.com.
Copyright © 2008 - Middlesboro Daily News
Note:
Newspaper article from the Middlesboro, KY newspaper.
The dog in the article was bred by me 10 years ago. She is a Boomer (CH.
Briarmoor's Bugle Boy) x Cheala (CH. Chelsea's Chaela of Van Haley, CD, RN, CGC, OA, NAP, OAJ, OJP) puppy. This lady has really given her a great loving
home. Wouldn't it be nice if all our puppy homes were this great? I still have
her mother who is almost 15 years old now and beginning to slow down but
still kickin'. I thought some of you might enjoy reading the article.
Lori Cartwright
Newspaper article from the Middlesboro, KY newspaper.
The dog in the article was bred by me 10 years ago. She is a Boomer (CH.
Briarmoor's Bugle Boy) x Cheala (CH. Chelsea's Chaela of Van Haley, CD, RN, CGC, OA, NAP, OAJ, OJP) puppy. This lady has really given her a great loving
home. Wouldn't it be nice if all our puppy homes were this great? I still have
her mother who is almost 15 years old now and beginning to slow down but
still kickin'. I thought some of you might enjoy reading the article.
Lori Cartwright
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